CO · #21 by population

Buying a home in Colorado

Costs and rules that are specific to Colorado. Main city: Denver.

In short

Colorado taxes property sales through its documentary fee, does not require an attorney at closing and imposes only limited seller disclosures. It forecloses mainly out of court (trustee sale) and is not a community property state.

Calculate for Colorado

If you buy

Colorado state transfer tax

Documentary fee (C.R.S. 39-13-102): $0.01 per $100 of consideration, or major fraction of $100; nothing if $500 or less. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$574,600
State transfer tax$57.46
Share of the price0.01% of the price
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the Colorado median value of owner-occupied homes, $574,600 (Census ACS 2024). Rule: Price divided by $100, times $0.01, counting a major fraction of $100 as a full unit. No fee when consideration is $500 or less. Who pays: The statute puts the fee on whoever offers the deed for recording and does not pick a side; the contract (CBS1 splits closing costs) and closing statement decide. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Colorado transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Colorado state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Colorado in short

Is there a real estate transfer tax in Colorado?

Colorado has no transfer tax by that name but charges a state documentary fee of one cent per $100 of the price, which is $62.50 on a $625,000 home. The Colorado Constitution bars new or increased real property transfer tax rates.

Full Colorado guide · Compare all 50 states

How much is the state transfer tax on a $574,600 home in Colorado?

On $574,600, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Colorado (Census ACS 2024), the state documentary fee comes to $57.46 ($0.01 per $100 of consideration, or major fraction of $100). County and city taxes are not included.

Full Colorado guide · Compare all 50 states

What closing costs does Colorado law set?

Colorado has no official typical closing-cost total. The state documentary fee is $0.01 per $100 of price ($62.50 on $625,000) and Denver charges a flat $43 to record each real estate document.

Full Colorado guide · Compare all 50 states

How is property tax calculated in Colorado?

Colorado property tax is local. For the 2026 tax year a home is assessed at 6.8% of value for local governments (after a 10% reduction of value, up to $70,000) and 7.05% for schools. Denver's 2025 combined levy was 79.602 mills, and the 2026 protest deadline is June 8.

Full Colorado guide · Compare all 50 states

What is the deadline to appeal a property tax assessment in Colorado?

In Colorado, protest your valuation to the county assessor by June 8 in 2026 (June 1 from 2027) after the notice of valuation is mailed by May 1, and if you disagree with the assessor you can appeal to the county board of equalization, then to an arbitrator, district court or the Board of Assessment Appeals within 30 days.

Full Colorado guide · Compare all 50 states

Do you need a real estate attorney to close in Colorado?

No Colorado statute read requires a buyer or seller to hire an attorney to close. Closings are normally run by a title insurance company or agent that provides closing and settlement services (C.R.S. 10-11-102).

Full Colorado guide · Compare all 50 states

What must a home seller disclose in Colorado?

Colorado has no single statute requiring every seller to complete one condition form. C.R.S. Title 38, Article 35.7 requires specific disclosures, including special taxing districts, elevated radon, water source, and past methamphetamine use.

Full Colorado guide · Compare all 50 states

How does foreclosure work in Colorado?

Most Colorado home loans are foreclosed through the county public trustee, with a narrow court order under Rule 120 but no full lawsuit, and the first sale date is set 110 to 125 days after the notice of election and demand is recorded.

Full Colorado guide · Compare all 50 states

What first-time home buyer programs does Colorado offer?

In Colorado, Denver's metroDPA program offers down payment help as an interest-free second mortgage with no monthly payments, for buyers with income up to $216,000 and a credit score above 640. The article could not read the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) pages, so it gives no CHFA amounts.

Full Colorado guide · Compare all 50 states

Which natural hazards affect home insurance in Colorado?

The Colorado FAIR Plan, created in 2023 (House Bill 23-1288), limits residential coverage to $750,000, pays actual cash value rather than replacement cost, and requires three declinations from standard insurers.

Full Colorado guide

How much tax when you sell a home in Colorado?

The federal rule is the same in Colorado as in every state: if you owned and lived in the home as your main home for at least 2 of the last 5 years, the first $250,000 of gain is excluded, $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly (Section 121, IRS Publication 523). Bought $400,000, sold $750,000: a single owner has $100,000 of taxable gain, $15,000 of federal tax at the 15% long-term rate; a couple filing jointly owes nothing. Colorado income tax on the gain is not computed here.

Capital gains on a home sale

Colorado guides

Denver

Buying a home in Denver, Colorado

Professionals in Colorado

All states · Federal guides